


Death is Easy

by Fidget_the_Crazy



Series: Keijo [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Child Abuse, Dink is Mother Gothel, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, I think?, Mental Anguish, Oops, does that count?, idk - Freeform, ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28960512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fidget_the_Crazy/pseuds/Fidget_the_Crazy
Summary: Keijo but Dink raises him. That was actually the title for it for a while XDIn other words, I turned Dink into Mother Gothel.
Series: Keijo [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2123511
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a little something in the perspective of Keijo, exploring something that was touched upon in the actual story, then never explored further because Tangent Brain. Yes, that is a condition I suffer from, totally not made up. I suppose this is a fic that isn’t really formally “finished”, but it mainly exists for the idea and not much else, so it kind of ends abruptly some places. Eh. And the title actually has nothing to do with the actual content, it’s just the opposite to *Life is a Fickle Thing*. Plus, I thought of it at 11 at night so there’s that. Enjoy!

His name was Dem-nema. 

And he had been taught from as far back as he could remember that the Heroes of Hyrule were the most horrible people you could come across. He was taught that they were out to get him, and that they knew him as “Keijo”. 

He was taught in the art of death, and shadow. The dark magic that he was always surrounded by was his cradle and his comfort. He knew how to channel it, make it do his bidding after many years of trial and error and his father teaching him. He had to use an object to channel bigger spells and such, but that’s why he always had a cane with him. His father, Dark, taught him survival, magic, and war. He shaped him into a weapon, without Dema knowing. 

Dema knew of the triforce. He knew he had the Triforce of Courage. He also knew that the heroes had it as well. He knew how to use it to his advantage. He knew how to tap into its power, and learned how to mix it with the dark magic that he surrounded himself with. 

"The Heroes have never been true 'heroes'," Dark would tell him, "they are vandalists, manipulators, and liars.” He was taught everything about their adventures, behaviors, strengths, weaknesses, everything. He knew that the Hero of the Sky had defeated Demise, but let him curse his “lineage”. He knew the Hero of Wind had a sister that he cared about. He knew the Hero of Men’s mind was fractured beyond repair. He knew the Hero of Hyrule was skittish. He knew the Hero of Legend was the most experienced, but heavy with trauma. He knew the Hero of Warriors had relationship problems. He knew the Hero of Wild had amnesia. He knew the Hero of Twilight missed a woman from another world. He knew the Hero of Time knew loss too well; his most recent loss in the form of a late wife. He knew to be wary of all of them; Time was extremely manipulative, and would most likely try to get his guard down by pretending to not want to fight. Twilight, when as a wolf, was ravenous, yet heartbroken; a literal animal. Wild had issues about trust, and wildly unpredictable, and insecure. Warrior’s pride was his hubris, and was also manipulative, being a captain. Wind, being a pirate, wasn’t afraid to play dirty. Four could split into four, and because of that, he became mad with voices in his head. Legend was a walking arsenal, but a glass cannon. Hyrule was the magician of the group, rivaling that of the most experienced mage he knew of. Sky was the first in line, and had killed a god. He was trained against their way of fighting, and studied their attack patterns, and the way they lived. He knew what they looked like, and even had drawings of them in his sketchbook. Strangely, he had a favorite hero to draw. That hero was the Hero of Time.

He was mesmerized by the details of his face, how… scarily similar it was to his own. The nose, the shape of the face, even though Dema’s was a bit rounder with both youth, and something else he couldn’t place. The man was smiling a very sinister smile in his drawing, giving Dema the feeling that he was never to be trusted. But that didn’t stop him from feeling like he knew him from a long time ago. 

“Father,” Dema had asked one time, fidgeting with underlying fear. Dark wouldn’t like to hear this coming from him and was scared about what he would get.

“What is it, Dema?” 

“I feel like…” he was too nervous for this. “I think the Hero of Time seems familiar…”

Silence. That can’t be good. “Familiar, you say?” His voice was calm, but it still left Dema flinching. 

“Yes, father,” Dema whispered, too afraid to raise his voice further. Why was he this scared? He didn’t have much of a reason to be.

“What exactly is familiar about this man?” He took the sketchbook from his hands. 

“The face. He looks like me if I was a lot older and blonde.”

“I see nothing similar between you two. Even then, you shouldn't be comparing yourself to them. We’re better than they are.” He gave the sketchbook back. Dema looked back on the page. How did he not see any of those features? They were so easy to pinpoint! 

Dark sighed. “Am I going to have to take your sketchbook away?” 

Dema shook his head furiously. 

“I think it’s best if you got rid of that drawing. To keep those horrid thoughts away.” 

Dema really didn’t want to get rid of it. And not just because of who it depicted; it was a good drawing, he put time and effort into it! But he ripped it out of his sketchbook anyway, only hiding it in feign of throwing it away. He found himself looking back to that picture many sleepless nights, and drawing Time more on separate pages hidden from his father’s eyes. 

* * *

Dem-nema had a plan. 

Each time they would link their home to a different Hyrule, he would hunt down each hero one by one, and kill them. Well, attempt to. He knew how powerful they were. 

Dema watched the halls, making sure that his father wasn’t looking. 

Apparently he wasn’t subtle enough. 

“Where are you going, Dem-nema?” His father prodded, “you look like you’re staying to sneak away somewhere.”

Might as well be truthful. “I’m going to kill the Hero of Hyrule.” 

“Are you now?” His father was next to him, giving him the look he hated getting. “Do you truly think you’d be able to defeat him?”

“You’ve trained me to defeat him, father,” Dema answered. “I’ve memorized how he fights, I know what to look for, and you’ve fought me without holding back using his attack patterns! Will you just give me a chance? Please?” 

“No.” 

“All my life I’ve been trained for this moment! Why are you denying me this!? I thought this was what you wanted!”

A pause. “I don’t want you to get hurt. I know I’ve trained you to fight them all, but who’s to say you’re able to fend them off? You’re still young.”

“Every single monster you’ve sent my way to fight, I’ve downed. Again, you’ve trained me well in that regard. I just want to make you proud.”

“You will not be fighting them, and that is final. It’s too early for that.” Dark didn’t let him say anything else as he walked out of the room. 

Dema stayed in the room. He still felt like he should have been able to fight. He was capable! He hadn’t lost a fight ever since he was pitted against a Lynel, but he was able to pick himself up and keep training! He could do this! 

  
  


He left their hideout, making sure that Dark wasn’t there to see him, and started his hunt for the Hero of Hyrule. He didn’t exactly know what to expect. His goal was to kill him, then what? Move on to the next hero, his head supplied. 

  
  


He had eventually found Hyrule in a cave. Dark had said that he lived in a cave, and Dema knew to look for him in those spots, but he didn’t expect to actually find him. 

Now what? Does he announce his presence and say ‘I’m going to kill you now, you filthy hero’? Maybe just sneak up on him and finish him off quickly. But that could go badly, since Hyrule is probably the most skittish out of all of the heroes, aside from Wild. 

Oh great, Hyrule noticed him. He was in trouble.

He gave Dema a mistrustful look. “Is there something you need?” He asked. 

Strange. Dark had taught him that the heroes were hunting him, at their own paces. And here he was, face to face with the Hero of Hyrule, and he hasn’t been struck down yet, even recognized for that matter. Well, nothing better to do. Dema charged and struck the first blow.

“Hey, woah!!” Hyrule was caught off guard by the sudden attack. They struck blow after blow, a duel that would conclude whether Dema was capable of this task that he had placed upon himself. Eventually they clashed swords and stayed there, a battle of strength. Dema knew he was going to win this one.

“You seem familiar,” Hyrule mused, despite the strain he was enduring. Their swords disconnected and they resumed their duel. 

“Familiar?” Dema asked, “you don’t even know who I am!” That was right, right? He acted like he didn’t know who he was.

“You have a magical aura that surrounds you,” Hyrule explained, “it feels like a dark mask, but an underlying of forest-y, like a fairy.” 

Dema hesitated. He shouldn’t have ever done that. Hyrule landed a blow to his chest. Lucky that wasn’t a blade. He was knocked off his feet, but he recovered quickly. A fairy like aura? Where did that come from? He’s probably trying to distract you Dema, ignore it. Hyrule simply stood there with his sword raised. Dema waited. 

“You remind me of someone,” Hyrule said, “he’s pretty young though, a baby, actually.” Dema was intrigued, but confused. No, focus on fighting, now's not the time for this!

“His name was Keijo.” There’s that name again. Why did they even know him by that name, anyway? It’s such a stupid name. … wait… huh? 

“He was just 3 months old when Dink took him away from a friend of mine.” Who the heck is Dink? “The friend was a father figure for the group we were in. I miss them. I hope that he was able to find his son again.” 

Dema was very confused now. Dark said that they knew him as Keijo. Now the Hero of Hyrule is saying that Keijo is supposedly a baby that belonged to a friend of his? 

“What do you mean by this?” Dema demanded. “Are you telling me this to get my guard down?”

“What? No, not really. If it’s getting your guard down then I guess that’s a good thing, but… ah, I’m just reminiscing, forget what I say.”

Weird. Reminiscing? If he wanted to get his guard down, he wouldn’t say that. … would he? 

“Who’s Keijo to you?” Dema stood firm in his stance. “Who do you think he is?”

Hyrule cocked his head to the side. “Huh? He’ probably be… uh… I don’t know what his age would be actually, for me he’d be about 5 months now. He’s just this bubbly little kid that got kidnapped. Why are you asking about this? I thought you were here to kill me.”

Dema was taken back. “I… I planned to, but this Keijo guy… I want to know who he is.”

“Well, I’ve kind of told you all I know, besides the feeling that I would get each time I held him. He just… felt like a fairy. His dad also felt fairy-y, but his aura was more like sitting in a peaceful grove of trees, despite how intimidating he was.”

“Who was his father?”

Hyrule scratched the back of his neck. “Uh, I’m not sure you’d believe me if I told you who I traveled with.”

“You traveled with the other Heroes of Hyrule.” Now that took Hyrule back. At this point, both of their guards were down. 

“How do you know that?”

“I’m not telling you.”

“Why do you know about my travels with the other heroes!?”

“I can’t tell you! Just tell me who Keijo’s father was!”

Hyrule seemed to connect the dots. “You were sent to kill me, right?” Dema nodded his head hesitantly. “You know my journeys with the heroes. Are you working for Dink, or Ganon, even?”

“I don’t know who Dink is.”

“Dink is what we called Dark Link.” Hyrule smiled a bit. “It was coined by Smithy.”

“The Hero of the Four Sword.”

Hyrule was very skeptical of him now. “Yes. Again, how do you know any of this?” 

“Let’s just say I’ve been studying. Can you please tell me about Keijo’s father?”

Hyrule raised his sword slowly. “I don’t think I want to tell you anymore.” Oh, great! 

“No, please, I need to know this! It would answer so many questions, please, tell me who he belonged to!” 

Hyrule was quiet for a moment. “The Old Man. Does that answer your question?”

… Yes. Yes it did. The Hero of Time was his supposed father. So that’s why he felt that pull towards him when he first saw what he looked like! But was any of this even the truth? He needed to research this further, he couldn’t just believe this purely out of feelings. 

“I think so,” Dema answered. “Can… can you tell me more about the Hero of Time?” 

Hyrule stayed silent. “How do I know you won’t tell anyone you may work for?”

“I swear I won’t tell my father anything.”

* * *

“So,” Dema was still trying to take all of this new information in, “Time was Keijo’s father, but then Dark kidnapped him?”

“Basically,” Hyrule answered. 

“How come I never met Keijo then?” Best to play it safe. 

Hyrule wilted. “Do you think Dink abandoned him?”

Dema shrugged. “He’s kept me throughout the years and he’s treated me well. If Dark had abandoned someone, I don’t have any evidence for it.”

A beat passed. “What was your name? I don’t think I ever asked for it.”

“Oh, it’s…” should he tell him? “Dem…” 

“Dem? That’s a very simple name.” Hyrule was growing suspicious of him again. 

“Well, it’s actually Dema, I just didn’t know if I should tell you that, seeing how it could possibly be used against me.”

“Well, I’ve told you a bunch of information that could be used against me and my hero family, so… payback?” 

Dema chuckled. “I guess.” He realized how much time he had spent here. “I should go back. Father’s probably wondering where I am.”

“Promise not to tell anyone any of this?”

“I won’t.” Dema didn’t think he needed to. He wouldn’t be surprised if Dark already knew all of this. 

Hyrule waved a small goodbye, which Dema returned. On the way back home, he thought back to what he had been told. 

He… honestly had no idea what had happened. Hyrule had told him as much as he was comfortable with. He couldn’t see himself as this “Keijo” that he had described, but it fit so well. Too well, almost. He had a lot of things to work out, possibly he could gain answers from the other heroes. Yes, he needed more information if he wanted to know what all of this was. 

Dema had set out to go back home, but he needed proof that he either killed Hyrule, or that he had been defeated if he were to face his father. He figured it would be easy to feign defeat rather than victory, for a number of reasons. He tousled his hair, roughed up his clothing, and acted sulky once he got back. 

If Dema could shrink into dust to avoid Dark’s gaze, he would. 

“Let me guess,” Dark glared, “You disobeyed me, lost the fight, and are crawling back in shame.”

Dema nodded. He couldn’t trust his voice to speak for him. 

“And what have you learned?”

Dema bowed his head in shame, his voice nigh impossible to hear. “Don’t pick fights you won’t win.”

“Yes, what else did you learn?” 

“Don’t disobey you.”

“Exactly. I specifically told you that you shouldn't pick fights with them, but you went ahead and tried anyway. I thought you knew better than this, Dema! You’re lucky that you didn’t die!”

“I’m sorry, father.”

Dark said nothing in return. He simply turned his back and left, leaving Dema With his thoughts. He really wasn't good enough to fight them in this state, was he? Dark was right. He was too weak to fight any of them. Hyrule was simply toying with him. No, not even toying with him; he was only giving him a chance at fighting. And then he succeeded in letting his guard down by talking him out of his fighting mindset. … Why did he not kill him when he could have? When he  _ should _ have?

* * *

It took Dema a long time to revisit the new Keijo revelation. He had busied himself with training himself to his limit, and belittling himself to train more. The thought came back to him after he had fought to take down a Lynel that was assigned to train with him. It was a close game, and it took a bit too much time, but he had won the fight. He thought back to his talk with Hyrule, about how he had traveled with the heroes with a baby in tow, something which Dark had never told him. He knew that they travelled together, he practically knew all about them; they’re strengths, their weaknesses, what they had gone through during their adventures, everything. Well, apparently not. Wouldn’t Dark have taught him about Time having a son and that being a weakness that could be exploited? That would be very important to know! He definitely knew that Time had a dead wife that could be exploited in “Keijo’s” stead, but having a child is pretty big news. Why would Dark hide this from him? Perhaps Hyrule was lying to him? He was self taught to be street smart, after all. He needed more answers. 

But then again, Dema was treating “Keijo” like a separate person. Dark specifically told him that “Keijo” was the name they knew him by. Was he hiding something from him? Was it smart to ask his father this? Why would he hide this? This was getting too suspicious. 

It was time to do some digging. 

* * *

“What is the meaning of this, Dem-nema!?” This was  _ not _ a good idea. Dema should have known that this would only make Dark furious. 

“You told me that ‘Keijo’ was what they knew me by,” Dema carefully stated. “I want to know why the Hero of Hyrule would say that ‘Keijo’ is someone else entirely, probably even a baby.”

“Why in the name of Demise would you ever believe a hero!? That pesky fairy was trying to plant doubt in your head! Tell me, what truths do you see in that hero's claims?”

Dema thought back to the feelings of distant closeness that he felt towards Time. How they looked distantly similar, and the evidence in Hyrule’s words to back those feelings up, if said words were true. It felt so  _ right _ , but so foreign. 

It seemed that Dark took his pondering silence for an answer. “You can’t even think of anything. That’s exactly why I think such claims are ludicrous. Focus on better things Dema, and purge those thoughts from your mind.”

No matter how much Dema tried to purge them, he only found himself pursuing them. Letting them stew in his mind, turning them over like a puzzle begging to be solved. He wanted to know more, so much more! He needed another source, and Dark’s reaction only spurred him to think about the possibilities more. Perhaps once they go to the next Hyrule, he’ll talk to the Hero of that era. They hadn’t been traveling together for 2 months their times, they couldn’t have put together an elaborate scheme to undermine Dema’s very existence, especially now that he knew that they didn’t even know who he was. 

So he waited. 

* * *

They had arrived in the era that belonged to the Hero of Legend. How fitting, that the hero they visited next was the one that predates the one he visited before. 

He had to wait until Dark wasn't suspicious of him again to try and sneak away for his research. Now that he had time to think independently, Dark seemed paranoid, that Dema wasn't enough to fight the heroes. Dema didn't deny that his father was probably right about him being weak, but he did seem like he was a bit too cautious about them. Dema did hold his own against Hyrule, didn’t he? He still had a long way to go, yes, but he could still fight. He had Courage. If Legend decided to attack, he knew how to fight back. 

He was able to leave their hideout and hunt down the Hero of Legend. Late in the evening, he found him at a relatively secluded house, a little ways from the castle. He didn’t exactly expect a fight, but he did expect to be turned away at such a late hour. 

What he got instead was his Lorulian counterpart at the door. 

“Are you looking for Link?” The raven, Ravio, his mind supplied, asked. 

“Yes,” Dema affirmed, “I’m here to learn about the hero’s journey.”

Ravio looked perplexed. “I don’t think that many people know about his travels, this is news!” He thought for a moment. “I’m not sure he’d want to talk about them though, they’re a bit of a… sensitive topic.”

“I understand. But there are things that I want answers to.”

“Oh? What answers are those? Your secrets are safe with me, Mr…”

“Dema.” 

“Mr. Dema. Come on in, let me go get him first!”

He came in with hesitation, afraid that he still wasn’t welcome here. He felt wrong, that he shouldn’t be doing this. But here he was, sitting on a chair in a cluttered house, waiting for someone he was trained all of his life to kill to come down stairs (if he was even here in the house) and tell him about something he had trauma about. 

Dema could hear confrontation upstairs. Something about letting strangers in, what do you mean “learn about my adventure?” More words about mistrust. Of course, because no one trusted him. Silence. Footsteps down the stairs. A young man peeked at him, a skeptical look on his face. 

“So you wanted to know about my journeys,” Legend said. 

Dema squirmed in his seat. “There’s one specific journey I’d like to know about.” 

Legend’s brow raised. “Pick one. I’ve got a lot under my belt.” 

Dema had to play his cards just right for this to work. “I’ve seen you travel with other men before. I’d like to know more about them. Are they heroes too?”

Legend paused for a moment. “They were just traveling buddies if anything. Why do you wanna know about them?” 

“One of the men especially intrigued me. The one with the scar and tattoos.”

“The Old Man? What makes him stand out?” Legend seemed to realize that was a bit of a stupid question, as said Old Man nearly always wore armor, even if they were in a peaceful settlement, plus the point Dema brought up. “You know what, never mind, I can see why he’d strike you as interesting.”

Dema laughed with a nervous tinge. “Yeah. What was he like?” 

Legend was silent for a good long moment, likely pondering what to say. “What are ya gonna do with that information?” 

Oh dear. “I just feel this odd fascination with him, like…” should he say the truth? “he’s familiar.”

Legend’s face contorted in confusion. “Familiar? When I’m assuming you don’t know the guy?” 

“Do you get that feeling of… you know this person, even though you never met them?”

“...I do, actually.”

“That’s the feeling I got about him. I  _ need _ to know more.” 

Silence. “Well, I can’t really deny you answers if that’s the case. And you seem like a… good kid.” 

Legend told Dema the basics about Time. He could tell that Legend still didn’t trust him that much, not that he could blame him. He probably felt the dark arua that he usually had, it was surprising that he was telling him this much. The Time that Legend described was nothing like the Time that Dark had  indoctrinated taught him. Legend wove a story of a kind hearted man with a stone-like exterior; a man that was cynical, and forged in treacherous fires. Legend said (heh) that he found the man relatable, as he was a cynical adolescent himself. He also said that he eventually had a son. He was reluctant to say his name, but he revealed it to be Keijo. Just like how Hyrule had said it was. Hyrule told him the basics of the journey and who Keijo supposedly was; Legend told him who Time was, and what kind of father he could have had. 

“The Old Geezer was devastated when Keijo was discovered missing,” Legend reminisced, “Everyone could tell that he was mourning throughout the better part of that time. It affected everyone. Then Dink found us again and sent us all home. I still don’t get why we were sent on that big journey just to have one guy’s kid stolen and… friendships torn.” Legend laughed. “I like to think that Hylia makes it her goal to make us suffer, and get us to cry for bonus points.”

Dema chuckled with him. “Keijo must have had a wonderful father.” 

“He would have, if Dink didn’t snatch him up. I know the Traveller thought the Old Man was a good dad. A lot of the kids in the group looked up to him. Even I did to some degree, and I poked fun at him a lot.”

They sat there in semi-content quiet. 

“Did you get the answer you were looking for?” 

“Yes, I did, thank you so much.”

“Sure. Don’t let me keep you here, unless you wanna be scammed by Taquitos over there.”

“I thought we agreed on Ravioli!” A voice in the kitchen sounded. 

* * *

He had gotten his answers, and now it was time to play the matching game. 

What lined up with Legend’s story that Hyrule had said? They both said that Keijo was Time’s son, and that he was kidnapped. And that lined up with his own feelings about the man. Hyrule seemed to talk about him in the same light Legend described. 

It felt like everything checked out! But why did he feel apprehensive? He was sure that if he told Dark any of this, it would all be shot down. He could hear it now, ‘They all pitched in to create this story, don’t believe them!’ but how would they have created this? When? Whatever Dark told him, it seemed to not add up anymore. 

He just needed more answers is all. 

But where could he find it? He didn’t want to wait to get to a different Hyrule. He knew that Dark wouldn't leave this Hyrule so early. 

He was going to try to leave on his own.

It was risky, but he was willing to give it a go. He knew how to cast portals after all. He had been training for that as well, despite Dark telling him to stop after realizing he could. 

He didn’t exactly know which Hyrule to visit next. He thought of the Hero of Twilight. Perhaps he’d try to go there, he was the closest to Time, both by blood and mentor wise. He picked up the cane that he used to channel big spells like this, and thought of Twilight’s Hyrule. He focused the energy that surrounded him to his hands. He created a portal to… some Hyrule. He was still working on getting it out of ‘random mode’.

He stepped through, hoping that it would lead to where he wanted to go. 

* * *

He found himself standing near a village. … that looked nothing like Twilight’s Hyrule. Well, he tried. He’ll take what he could get. This looked like Four’s Hyrule the more he looked. He walked down through the streets, hoping he was being discrete. He eventually found the forge that Four worked and lived at. He wondered what weapon or tool he was working on, if he was working on anything at the moment. 

He knocked on the door, and he heard a bit of clamoring. He was probably split. He wondered what lies would be debunked this time. The door opened, and a young teen stood in front of him, practically the same height as him. His eyes were different colors. At least they weren’t blue. If they were, he’d be in trouble. 

“Well hello there,” Four greeted, “welcome to Four Elements Forge, is there an order you would like to place?” 

“No, but I would like to ask some questions,” Dema supplied. 

“And what questions would those be? Come in, don’t just stay out there! I have better manners than that!” His eyes turned red. Dema was on his good side.

Once Dema was situated in a guest (customer?) chair, given a cup of cold water, and names had been traded, he was able to voice his query. 

“So you want to know more of my adventures, huh?” Four brought a hand to his chin. “I can’t say this is the first time that people have asked for stories.”

“There’s one specific story I’d like to know about.” Dema had to be careful on how he phrased this, he knew that the big journey didn’t extend to his Hyrule. “You were gone for a while, about four months if I remember. May I ask what you were doing during that time period?”

“Ah. You want to know about that. Strange that I left for some time when there was peace in Hyrule?” Four paused, a fond red smile crept onto his face. “I was called to a journey with other men like me.” 

Dema feigned wonder. “Really?”

“Yes, really! It was a good journey to spend time with them. I wish I was able to give them a proper goodbye, however.” 

“What were they like?”

A violet hand rubbed Four’s chin. “Well, there were eight other men on my journey. Some were actually around my age, actually. Sailor was the youngest, and he was as energetic and expressive as boys his age came. He was a joy to be around, alway knew how to get people to smile. Veteran… heh, that guy was practically made of salt. He knew every come back, and was a bit prickly but had a heart of gold once you got to know him. They all had hearts like that. Captain was the flirt of the group, but it was a bit easy to tell that it was a mask.” That was something to take note of. Using pride (in a way) as a mask. “He was a good tactician, a very good morale booster. Traveler was humble, a good healer. Probably the best in sorcery, besides Veteran. Sky was the nice guy. He was always warm and fluffy to be around, you could tell he was passionate about the things he cared about. Rancher was very down to earth, good with animals and kids. He was always good to talk to, if you needed someone to vent to. The Cook was wild, he was a free spirit, loved to do everything he wasn’t really supposed to do. But he always got the job done nonetheless. The Old Man was the seregit leader of the group and even a father figure to some of us. Heck, he  _ was _ a father. It was that last month of traveling that he had his son, but we never got to know what happened to him.” Fours face twisted into a blue melancholy frown. Dema could tell he didn’t want to talk about that part. He already knew the story anyway. 

“What was the Old Man’s son like?”

“I believe he was three months old when we met him. So he was a smiley little guy. He was also an alarm clock, he would cry at exactly six in the morning, then just stop entirely fifteen minutes later. It was strange. But then again, we were all strange. He really was a cute kid.” 

Dema seemed to get his answers. Now what? “On a bit of a different topic, what kind of weapons do you make?”

Four lit up in a green mood. “Al kinds, sir! Swords, spears, knives, shields, farmers tools, you name it! I’m willing to take any commissions if you’d like!” 

Dema had money on him, something he always kept with him in case it was needed. Perhaps he could buy something small. “Do you sell things that are already made?”

“Yes, I do! Would you like to see the line up?” 

“I would, thank you.”

He browsed the weapons that the Hero of Men had named by hand. It was surreal, to be buying from someone that he was supposed to be hunting and killing. Killing? That felt wrong now. … he was getting blunt. He looked at what was in front of him; basic weapons, your swords and shields, your knives and daggers, spears, axes, hammers, even some bows. He thought about what weapons he had never really trained that much with. He eyed a hand axe that was small enough for him to grip, as if it was made for him. It was relatively simple in design, with some designs in the blade itself. 

“What’s your normal price range?” Dema asked. 

“It mostly depends on the quality, time, and effort I’ve worked into a project. For that, it would be in the 60s to 70s price range.” 

Dema looked through his wallet, hoping he had enough. He was just short of 50 rupees. He wouldn’t be able to afford nearly any of these weapons and carry extra for an emergency. 

“I’m not sure I have enough for any of these,” he sulked. 

Four seemed to have compassion on him. That was a strange thing to have. “You know, you remind me of someone. Of two people, actually. Both people I met on my adventures, one of them someone that was actually an enemy turned good.” Dema didn’t know how to feel about that. “The other is actually one of the men from my latest journey. Mainly the Old Man.” That took Dema by surprise. “I don’t really know why, you just remind me of them somehow. Tell you what, because I like you so much, I’ll give you a discount. I’ll dock the price down to forty.”

He would only have around 10 rupees left, but he could always get more from the grass and other places. It always surprised him how much he could get just by looking in the right spots without even stealing from anyone. 

“I’ll take it, then.”

He paid the amount he was told, Four gave him a written paper he didn’t really know what to do with, and he left the hero to his devices. 

“Thank you for telling me these things, It was wonderful to talk to you! And thank you for the axe!”

“Of course! Stop by any time!” 

Later in the forge, four colors talked amongst themselves as they worked on a quality bill hook. 

That kid was so cute! 

Something about him is familiar. I can’t doubt that. 

He really does remind me of the Old Man and Shadow. 

Yes, he does. 

Didn’t I literally admit that? I still don’t think I should have told him those things. His aura felt dark. 

Yeah, but so did the Rancher’s, and he was a hero. 

That was a different dark! This one felt… like Shadow’s. 

Hm…. 

* * *

He knew something was off the moment he stepped through the portal back home. It took a few tries to get back, but he found his way.

He felt like he should run, that he wasn’t safe. He didn’t like that that entailed. He always trusted his father, but… did he trust him now? Was he even safe? Everything he was taught was crumbling around him. He didn’t feel that safe in the darkness anymore. The dark magic that he used to see as his comforting presence, was now a deserted husk that held no warmth. 

All of this because he talked to three different heroes. Pathetic. 

“I knew you left, Dem-nema,” The words of his father ran down Dema’s spine. “I felt you leave for another Hyrule. I thought you promised me you wouldn't perfume that spell again. Tell me, what was so important that you left?”

Dema was silent. He didn’t want to say anything, but he knew that was dangerous. He knew that telling him the truth was also dangerous. “I want to know the truth.” 

“What truth? I’ve told you everything you need to know.” 

“I want to know who Keijo really is. The Traveler said that Keijo was just a three to five month old that belonged to the Hero of Time. You’ve told me that the heroes are awful people. I’ve met them, and I’ve never been attacked by them, even with the aura I have.”

“This is just because you tried to kill the Hero of Hyrule, isn’t it? He’s brainwashed you! You never should have listened to him!” 

“I listened to different accounts, and they all said the same thing! The only way they could have made this story up is if they all had collaborated on it during their journey and knew who I was, which they didn’t! They didn’t even know any of my names, I had to ask them who Keijo was, they never called me that, yet you said that they knew me by that name! This also adds up with my inner feelings about the Hero of Time.” 

Dark was quiet. That was never a good thing. “So you really think I lied to you. This is why I told you to not pursue them. They completely flipped everything on its head, and you went with it. Are you really that desperate to learn something else to the point that you betray me?” 

“I…” Dema really didn’t feel safe anymore. “I just wanted answers.”

“And those answers you got. Do they make you happy?” 

Dema looked down at his feet. He should have seen this coming. He  _ did _ see this coming. 

He felt strong hands grip his shoulders. They were too tight. “What side are you on? Mine, or theirs?” 

Dema said nothing. He didn’t know anymore. 

“Let me show you what happens to the ones that side with the heroes.” 

* * *

Pain. 

Absolute pain. Chains on his wrists. Trapped. He wouldn’t be able to get out. Dark had hurt him. He said it pained him to do this to his own son, but he had to teach Dema a lesson he knew deep down was a lie. Well, there was some truth to it; he will hurt you if you disagree or get in the way. It was frightening to see Dark like this, to be treated like this by him. He never treated Dema like this, never! He must have seen him as a threat now. What was he going to do now, now that he was made an enemy? He didn’t want to think about it. 

He wanted out of these shackles. He needed to get out of here. He now realized that he was in a very awful place to be, that he was never safe to begin with. But he had no way of escape. What could he do? He figured that he could wait for Dark to come back, but he wasn’t sure he would. 

His mind wandered to the Hero of Time. He wondered what father he could have been. What would he have taught him? Would they live on the ranch? What would have that been like? He longed for someone that wasn’t Dark to comfort him, now that he saw what he was truly like. If Time really was a good man with a kind heart, would he try and save him? Or had he given up? It wasn’t in the hero’s nature to give up. He couldn’t! 

He also thought of something else; Twilight was Time’s descendant. And he was supposedly the son of Time. Did that make him Twilight’s father? Now  _ that _ was something strange to think about. He thought of how much of a strong connection that the two had. Dark had described it as abusive, but he knew that to be false. Were they like father and son? How did they treat each other? How could he get that kind of affection? … did he even deserve it? 

He shook away these thoughts. He needed to focus on getting out of here. He was weak, but he still had it in himself to use magic. It was going to be very hard without his cane, but he could manage, right? He conjured up what little energy he had and tried to suck in any excess dark energy he felt around him. It felt wrong to call upon it now, but he didn’t have much of a choice. He focused on the cuffs on his wrists, attempting to try and free himself. 

Nothing happened. 

Of course nothing happened, what did he expect? He didn’t know how to teleport without outside help, only Dark was able to do that. What could he do to get out of here? He searched his surroundings, seeing if he could find a random object he could use. His legs were free, so he could use those to at least try and reach for them. 

A thought occurred to him. He knew a darker version of Farore’s Wind called Vaati’s Wind. he was still trying to master it, and once again, the location was randomized, but at this point he’d take what he could get. He focused his energy to his core, thought of someplace in the hideout he figured Dark would be keeping his weapons. He focused more, despite how tiring it was, and pulled. 

He found himself on the other side of the spell a bit dizzy, and not in the room he wanted to be in. He supposed that was expected. 

He needed to figure out how to get his weapons back if he tried to get out of here. He couldn't use Vaati’s Wind to get out; that wouldn’t warp him to different Hyrules, and he knew that. He technically could run away without his magic, but that was risky, as he couldn’t go to a different Hyrule to hide in once Dark found out he was gone. He also could get another random object and channel magic through that, but he wanted his cane, it was something he was used to. 

He waited for the right moment. He was surprised to find that Dark wasn’t anywhere in the place they were hiding in. Anywhere and everywhere he looked, there was no evil entity. Was this pure luck? Was this a set up? What was this? He could take his cane and teleport away just like that! This was too good to be true! 

He knew where Dark would likely keep his cane, sword, shield, and newly acquired axe. He crept down to the room where he would keep the weapons, and lo and behold, they were there, a bit obscured by other objects, but he could still see a part of the cane and shield. He picked them up, being careful not to move anything else out of place. He focused the magic he was familiar yet uneasy using to his hands, and a portal showed up once again for him. He didn’t have an aim this time. He just needed out. 

He stepped through, not knowing what to expect, or where he was going.

* * *

Time stood up, and walked towards where his boys were fighting the Creature. He summoned the Deity’s sword again. The boys were looking to where he was. Some were filled with relief, others with fear. The Dark Creature didn’t seem to care. He only took the opportunity to hurt them more. Time charged and blades met. 

**“Sky!”** Time called,  **“Put the Master Sword to some good use!”**

Sky didn’t hesitate to help in the fight. Every strike that he landed had made the creature hiss in pain as his body seemed to corrode where the Master Sword touched. Vio got the bright idea of taking out the Light Arrows that they received by kinstone fusions and found that they also weakened the Monster. Wind took out his own and helped as well. The Dark Monster's body would regenerate, but they kept it under control with any light weapon that the heroes had. Soon after a long time of whittling it down, it was soon reduced to nothing, destroyed by the light of the Master Sword and the Deity’s Sword. 

There was silence. The boys didn’t know what to expect. Twilight turned to where the Deity stood, watching for anything that could threaten him and his brothers. The Deity raised both hands to his face, and grabbed… something, and pulled. There was a flash of light, and Time stood in its place, holding the Mask. 

Time breathed in, and breathed out. He was dizzy. The adrenaline of battle left him, and the feeling of nearly dying was catching up to him. But it was over, right? 

“Do you feel anything, Traveler?” Time asked. Before he could get an answer, Time fainted from the overexertion of fighting too much. The heroes ran over to the Old Man, Twilight especially being concerned. 

Warrior and Sky helped get his armor off. Green raised Time’s feet. Twilight checked for a pulse, and a wave of calming relief washed over him when he felt a steady heartbeat. He didn’t realise that he was shaking from all the fighting, and all of the panic and stress. He wanted to follow in Time’s footsteps and promptly collapse, but he didn’t have time for that. 

“It’s gone,” Hyrule whispered, to the others, but mainly to himself. “We’re finished, the darkness is gone, we’re okay.”

“It’s done?” Legend was skeptical, but still relieved. “No jumpscare battle at the last minute?” 

“We still need to find Keijo,” Wild reminded, “Pops would kill us if we forgot!”

Hyrule, who was tending to Time, volunteered to stay behind. “You guys go ahead to try and find Keijo, I’ll stay here to watch over the Old Man.”

“But where do we go?”

Time’s eye opened groggily. He felt achy all over. He just wanted to keep lying there. His chest hurt. 

“Can you sit up?” that sounded like Hyrule.

Time groaned. He knew if he sat up, he’d feel dizzy. 

“Do you need help? I’ll be careful.” 

A hand grabbed his own and started to tug it gently. Another one grabbed the other. 

“On three?” that sounded like Wild. Time hummed. He felt his legs be set down slowly. He didn’t notice that they were off the ground in the first place. 

“One, two, three!” Hyrule and Wild pulled the old man up slowly. Once Time was off his back, he felt support come from behind. Once he was on his legs, Hyrule and Wild wrapped his arms around their shoulders to support him. His knees still felt weak. 

“Can you walk?” Wild asked. 

Time took a step forward, and so did they. He just realized that he felt lighter than normal. “Where’s my armor?”

“Got it right here, Gramps,” Warrior confirmed, holding up an extra bag, “didn’t want you to get claustrophobic.”

“Thanks.” Time looked around the room. There was a giant door that was still shut. Maybe Keijo was on the other side. Maybe? No, he was! He had to be! 

Time stumbled to the door with both Hyrule and Wild supporting him. He freed himself from their grasps, and leaned on the door. It didn’t open when he approached it, and it didn’t give out when he put weight on it. He couldn't use any magic to open it, he was too exhausted for that. He had his golden gauntlets on, he could try that. He pushed as hard as he could on the doors, but they refused to budge. He pounded on them, slowly starting to panic. 

“One of you boys, help me open this hylia forsaken door!”

The others started to pitch in, finding ways to try and open the door. Even when nine separate portals showed up in the room, Time still tried everything he could to make the door shutter even a centimeter wide. He screamed for the goddesses to open the door as he slammed his fist against it again and again, to reunite him with his son. The son that had been lost to him for two months now. They had given him hope in bringing them all together again. Why do this to him when his wish would never be fulfilled? 

Twilight and Warrior had to drag him away from the door and remind him he needed to go home. He was delirious, in tears, and in denial. He couldn’t go home without Keijo! He needed to find him! He couldn’t leave him to die! 

He wasn’t dead, right? 

Time was the last one out of the room. He wasn’t the only one that shed tears that day, but he certainly mourned the longest. He stayed there for as long as he could before his personal health and body wailed in desperation for him to leave and take care of himself. He limped through the portal with his tail between his legs, promising himself he wouldn't ever stop looking for his Little Fae. 

* * *

_ “Did anyone else encounter someone who works for Dink?” _

_ “What do you mean?” _

_ “I don’t know, he reminded me of Jojo a little.” _

_ “...Do you think he was brainwashed?”  _

_ “If he was, I don’t think he is now. He started asking me questions about Jojo when I mentioned him.” _

_ “Hm… the reminds me of that kid that visited me asking about my journey with you guys. Said he wanted answers.”  _

_ “I had a kid visit my forge and ask about you guys too! He seemed very interested in the Old Man.” _

_ “...was his name Dema?”  _

_ “Yes!” _

_ “It was, oh my goodness!” _

_ “Did anyone else encounter this guy?” _

_ “No. I don’t even know who you’re talking about.” _

_ “Does the Old Man know about him?” _

_ “I don’t know. Hey, Gramps! Do you know a kid named Dema!?” _

**_“QUIT STANDING THERE BEING USELESS AND HELP ME GET THE ******* DOOR OPEN!!!!!”_ **

_ “Holy Hylia, calm down!” _

* * *

Traveling through the different Hyrules without having to worry about someone chasing you was very refreshing! Well, he hoped that he wasn’t being chased. It had been about a onto of traveling and the only threats he felt on the road were petty thieves and stray monsters. He also noticed that he never ended up back… “home.” Now, he had a different home to focus on. He needed to find Time and start life anew. 

It didn’t stop him from doing good deeds where he went. Keijo would help others in need, and kept the thought in his mind that his real father would be proud. He used his skills in fighting for good, saved others, and never asked for anything in return. He still took what they gave him out of politeness. It felt so gratifying, so rewarding to help others; something he had to teach himself. 

Before he got there, however, he found Hyrule again, right where he was before. He seemed sadder than he was last time. What happened? It shouldn’t have been that long, right?

“Traveler?” 

Hyrule startled at his voice, but when he looked up to see him, he stood up and ran towards him. 

“Dema! I didn’t think I’d see you ever!”

That behavior was unexpected. “Hey.” 

“Since you're here, may I ask a question of my own?”

“Sure?” 

“You asked about Keijo, right?” 

“I did. Are you wondering why I asked?” 

“Yes, that, but I went back to finish what we were able to start. We defeated Dink! … You’re… okay with that, right?” 

Dink was defeated? Is that why he wasn’t being hunted? Is that why he wasn’t there when he escaped in the first place? 

“I’m perfectly okay with that, I was actually running away from him. I didn’t even know he was defeated until now!”

“Well, I was able to meet up with the others again, and the Veteran and Smithy said they also encountered you. Is that true?” 

Oh. He should have been more careful about this. “I did. I wanted more answers, I needed to know if you were telling the truth.” 

“You asked about Keijo a lot. And you still remind me of him. Are you-”

  
  


“Yes. I am. I was raised as Dema, but I figured it out.”

“Hyrule’s eyes widened. “You really are Keijo?” 

Keijo nodded. 

Hyrule did something very unexpected. A hug. A very tight hug. 

“Gramps was so sad!!! He kept trying to find you, but the door wouldn’t open! I guess we know why it didn’t now, since you’re here!” 

It seems to dawn on him that he wasn’t an infant anymore. “You’ve gotten so big! It hasn’t even been a year yet!” 

“Time is relative I guess.” Heh. Time really was his relative. 

“I’m so happy that you’re alive! The Old Man will be so happy! … you’re stuck here in this Hyrule, aren’t you?”

“No, actually, I’m not.” Keijo raised his cane and summoned a portal. Hyrule stepped back in astonishment. 

“Oh my gosh… does this mean that you can go to all the different Hyrules to visit others?” 

“Yeah, but it’s inconsistent in locations, I’m always stuck with where it takes me.” 

“So it’s all chance, then.” 

“Yeah, sadly.” 

What are you doing here, then!? You need to go find you dad, Jojo!”

...Jojo? He didn’t have time to ask about the name before Hyrule hugged him goodbye and shoved him through the portal. 

* * *

It took him some time to finally arrive in Time’s Hyrule, both from getting distracted, and the portals being randomized, which he was still working on. Once he arrived there, he could feel that pull towards… somewhere. Probably to the hero himself. He chased that feeling down until he found what he was looking for. It didn’t take long to find him, something that he was baffled by.

Keijo was surprised when he finally found Time. It was on the road, away from his home. Why would he be so far away from the ranch that he was supposed to be running? He was searching for him, wasn’t he? 

Time looked far from the manipulative, cunning, horrible man that Dark had described. He seemed steeped in sorrow. Absolute pure sorrow. A man who had lost everything. He stared into the fire with tired eyes, a frown etched into his features. It looked like he had many nights of sadness. Keijo could easily imagine tears flowing down the man’s cheeks. Even with the markings and the scarred eye, he didn’t look intimidating at all. He simply looked like he was a man ready for death.

Keijo felt that pull towards him grow stronger. His cheeks felt wet. Was he crying? When did this start? He felt like he had both found his father, his true father, but also felt a deep sadness as well, feeling remorse for this man, whom he had never met. He wanted to run to Time and hug him. He felt like a scared and lost child, crying out for a parent that had been separated from him. It was a strange feeling. He had never felt these feelings before, being someone that was raised by an awful entity who trained him to kill and not feel remorse or lingering sadness about it. So he stayed silent. 

Time looked up as if he heard something. Keijo figured that he could feel that same pull he felt. The Old Man stood up, looking around frantically.  _ I’m right here, father. I’m right here! _

“Am I going mad?” Time whispered to himself. “Where is it coming from? Why do I feel like he's here?” 

Keijo moved closer to him, hoping that he would notice him. Why was he scared to approach him? The Old Man searched his surroundings, his eyes catching on him, but moving somewhere else, as if distracted. What was it he was seeing that kept him from noticing his own son? Was he that delirious? 

“I really am going insane,” Time sat down and put his head in his hands. Hopeless. His shoulders shook with sadness, probably crying now. 

Seeing his real father break down like this seemed to break the dam that was holding Keijo back. The tears were flowing freely, more so that he had ever cried in his life. He didn’t care if Time heard him, he wanted to be heard. But he was too afraid to approach the stranger before him. Stranger. That felt wrong to call his true father. But it wasn’t far from the truth, despite the familiarity he felt about him. 

Keijo simply sat there, crying helplessly like the poor child he was, not sure what to do. Before this moment, he always took care to be silent and keep a lid on how much he cried. Not anymore. All of the years of trauma that had built up over the years were finally pouring out. He didn’t notice that Time had heard his sobs and was walking slowly towards him. He only felt a hand caress his head and a quiet voice whisper his name. 

“Keijo?”

He looked up to find Time in front of him, kneeling down, with eyes that were desperate for an answer. 

Keijo froze. What should he do now!? His real father was right in front of him, asking him if he’s his son! He sniffed and whispered in a barely audible voice; “hello father.” 

He felt arms wrap around him and hold him tight. Keijo hugged back, too stunned to do anything else. They stayed in each other’s embrace for a very long time, his father holding him like a lifeline. They both cried tears of joy, more than happy that they were reunited. Keijo felt like he was finally home, no longer lost. He felt safe in Time’s arms, it felt so nice to be held by someone who truly loved him. 

“I thought I lost you forever, Little Fae,” Time rasped. Little Fae. That felt right. So very right. Time pulled away to get a good look at him. “You’ve grown so much,” He laughed, “It hasn’t even been that long!”

Keijo laughed between sobs. “From what I’ve been told, you last saw me as a baby, right?” 

“That’s true.” Time cupped his cheek to get a better look at him. “How long has it been for you?”

“I’m twelve…” 

Time’s countenance betrayed his feelings of surprise. Twelve years old? 

“You already look like you’ve seen too much, are you sure you’re that young?” 

“I am.”

“What did Dink do to you?”

“He taught me how to fight, said that you and the rest of the heroes were the worst people on the face of Hyrule. He couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Time smiled sadly. Did he really think otherwise? 

“I’m just glad that you’re alive, I thought…” he choked on his words. “I thought he killed you.”

“He treated me well until the end. I got on his bad side and I had to run away.” 

“How did you run away from him?”

“Vaati’s Wind.” 

“Vaati?” 

“He’s not in this timeline, don’t worry.” 

They moved back to the center of Time’s small camp, and sat together, slowly asking each other questions and basking in the presence of the other. 

“How did you first figure all of this out?” Time had asked, “I assume Dink kept things from you.” 

Keijo snuggled against his father’s side. “Well, I first figured out through the Hero of Hyrule, when I tried to kill him. But he said I reminded him of a baby that belonged to you. I did some digging, and I got in trouble for it. So I escaped.”

“I’m glad that you did. I don’t know what I would have done if I learned that you died.” 

They sat in pleasant silence. Keijo’s eyes grew heavy, and fell eventually asleep against Time. It wasn’t a sleep day for Time, so he stayed awake throughout the night, standing guard, protecting his son, vowing that nothing that would harm him would ever befall him again. After so long of cursing the goddesses, he thanked them for bringing his son back to him. In the morning, they would head back to the ranch, life feeling the most complete it’s ever felt. 


	2. art

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cover art I guess.

**Author's Note:**

> AAAAAAAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!! I FIGURED OUT HOW TO DO DIFFERENT COLORS!!!!!!!!!! Just look at the details of the usual work skin formatting, and you’ll find that they’ve been lying to you, and that you can HTML colors into the stuff, and I am so happy!!!!


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